1X Officially Launches NEO, the Humanoid Robot That’s Finally Ready to Move In

1X has finally lifted the curtain on NEO, a humanoid robot, designed from the ground up with the intention of making daily life in your home just a bit more manageable. Standing at 5ft 6in and weighing a modest 66 pounds, NEO is an overtly practical solution to the time-sucking tasks that clutter our days – like folding massive piles of laundry or scurrying after a dropped item across the room.

First, you add a simple to-do list via the mobile app or give a quick voice command, and the robot gets on with it, either on a schedule or at the drop of a hat. It folds clothes carefully, straightens cluttered bookshelves, and buffs surfaces to a shine without scratching a single one. At first, its capabilities seem straightforward – it can open the door for arriving guests, or switch off the kitchen lights after dinner – but the real magic lies in how it handles all the little details. A built-in battery lasts up to 4 hours before needing to be recharged, and NEO moves with the subtlety of a fridge humming in the corner (at just 22 decibels). Its smooth action is down to a tendon-based drive system and motors that properly balance power and precision, ensuring no jarring motions – essential when there are children or pets around.

When NEO can’t quite master a task on its own, it taps into the ‘expert mode’. A 1X staffer based in the US will then step in remotely, wearing a VR headset to guide the robot through whatever unfamiliar steps are required. You pick the time slot and give explicit approval via app or voice, and on NEO a pair of subtle ear rings light up to let you know its partner in the cloud is ready to work. This system is clever – it lets the robot learn from that single guidance session, and turn it into lasting know-how.

Conversation flows pretty naturally with NEO, thanks to the large language model that’s built right in – no need to bother digging out your phone or tablet when a question pops into your head. Just give it a name and it perks up, tunes in on the words you’re using and only chimes in when you actually talk to it. The cameras pick out what’s going on around it as you chat – look up on the counter and you’ll see NEO magically come up with a pasta recipe you might like, drawing on all it knows about your tastes. Over days and weeks, it hangs onto all the little details from previous chats: the birthday you mentioned months ago, that running grocery list, even how far you’ve got on that Duolingo streak… all the little reminders and details quietly fall into place so you don’t get bogged down.

It stays firmly rooted in reality with its choice of hardware – 22 degrees of freedom in each hand lets it reach out like a real person, carefully cradling a fragile mug or heavy grocery bags with ease. And if you accidentally give it a bump or knock it against the wall, the soft polymer ‘skin’ that covers it practically just gives way a bit, saving it from getting damaged. It can lift 154 pounds from the floor and carry 55 pounds round the house, all while staying connected to the internet through Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or 5G. And with speakers nestled in its torso and hips, it can even turn itself into a portable sound system – stick on a playlist or podcast and you don’t need to bother with an extra speaker.

Pre-orders begun Monday, and the first units are expected to arrive in the US by 2026, with plans to expand abroad the following year. NEO is asking for a steep price – either a $20,000 upfront payment for early access or $499 per month for a subscription – but the idea is that it’s worth it to reclaim the time you spend on housework.